Why Twizzlers Demonstrated That Everything Is Better with a Twist
“Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father.”
“He told me enough. He told me you killed him!”
“No, I am your father.”
It might just be one of the most iconic plot twists of all time. The looming, menacing, shadowy villain that is Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker that, in fact, he - one of the evilest men in the galaxy - is his dad. It’s a brilliant twist - one that has been parodied countless times since ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ released in 1980, absolutely, but also just a great example of how a plot shakeup can elevate a film. After all, in terms of cinematic experiences, it’s hard to beat the raw emotion that comes with an unexpected reveal. It’s just plain fun!
With this in mind, Twizzlers saw an amazing opportunity to draw a parallel. After all, if movies are better with a twist, and Twizzlers are better with a twist (because really, eating straight ropes of licorice is kind of boring), why not emphasise the fact that, across the board, twists just make things more interesting? Working with FCB Toronto, the two leaned into the insight that in Canada, Twizzlers are often associated with watching movies and sports to create a campaign focused on the natural harmony of plot twists and Twizzler twists.
Featuring three TV commercials directed by The Perlorian Brothers, and a Spotify ad, the key spots all feature a deadpan couple on a couch, enjoying Twizzlers (of course) and watching a seemingly romantic scene… which rapidly devolves into varying other scenarios including arrest warrants, evil twins, and even an accidental cat posters. It’s fun, unexpected, and serves as a strong reminder that truly, twists just make things more fun.
LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with FCB Toronto creative director, Marty Hoefkes, group account director Melissa Paulino, and Twizzlers marketing manager Nicole Mahon, to learn how this all came to life.
LBB> Playing with the idea of movie twists and tying it to Twizzlers is super clever - where did this idea come from, and what made it the right choice for the creative?
Nicole> Some of the most memorable movie scenes are ones where a twist comes into play, so it felt like a natural fit for the brand to take ownership over that moment. Everyone can agree that adding a twist makes the movie experience that much better!
Marty> Twizzlers have always been a part of the movie-watching experience, but they wanted to push a little harder to show just how intertwined Twizzlers are with movies. The twisted shape of Twizzlers is also super iconic, so because they both have those ‘twists’ in common, it felt like the perfect way to connect the two.
LBB> And why was the attention of movie-goers something you wanted to capture? What makes them such a key demographic?
Nicole> Through consumer research, we identified screen time as a top snacking occasion where Twizzlers has specific relevance. Twizzlers is often associated with experiences at cinemas or sporting events in-person, and our playful twists are perfect for prolonged munching to make screen time more fun!
LBB> The spots are all hilarious! What was the writing process like? How did you come up with the base scenario, and how did you come up with the twists you showed?
Marty> We wrote roughly a dozen spots originally, in all sorts of different genres, from sci-fi to comic book to romance. In the end, we picked just one base script, with the goal of building a few edits from there. But then The Perlorian Brothers came on board, with 20 alternative endings on paper and even more in their heads. We had to pick and choose our favourites based on what we could shoot in a day and on budget. We’ve aired three so far, but there are at least another six edits lying around somewhere. Maybe they’ll air in a year or two!
LBB> And how was the production process? Where did you shoot, and do you have any anecdotes to share from on set?
Marty> We shot in a flooring factory on the outskirts of Toronto, in an indoor space that was made to look like the outdoors. The art department really nailed the look, using cars, fog and those giant orange cones to make it feel like we were really in some New York City alley.
We only had a single 14-hour day, so before shooting, we all aligned on the goal of capturing as many possible alt endings as possible. The Perlorian Brothers and production team were very smart in their set-ups, ensuring the whole day was streamlined.
LBB> The actors are awesome, from the deadpan couple to the people in the ‘movie’ playing out twists. What was the casting process like, and how did you work to help bring out their best reactions across the films?
Marty> Casting with The Perlorian Brothers is a pretty easy gig from the creative side. They have great sensibilities and can find what makes each actor special, giving everyone a chance to shine even if they ultimately don’t make the cut. Our final cast was fantastic!
One of our goals for the spot was to have clear separation between the scene on the couch and the movie scene. Having our couch couple give a downplayed, deadpan performance helped to max the juxtaposition against the old-Hollywood movie stars. And, it’s also just way funnier than the usual enthusiastic bite and smile.
LBB> This campaign will appear in other forms, including print, social and on Spotify. How did you approach adapting the campaign while still keeping the fundamental aspect of a movie twist front and centre?
Marty> We wanted the campaign to be centred around movie twists, not around our TV. So, for social and print, we took iconic movie lines and untwisted them, showing that it’s just not the same experience when you take the twist away. They were a lot of fun to write. And since it’s not just movies, but every TV-watching experience that goes great with Twizzlers, we thought a baseball twist would work great on Spotify, playing off the biggest twist in sports: the streaker.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Marty> The biggest challenge was always the volume of spots we were trying to get out of a single shoot day. It took a lot of trust, and a lot of planning ahead of time. We got everyone to agree to what scripts we were going to shoot and in what order of priority, so we knew which would get cut if we ran out of time. We also agreed that we would avoid improv almost entirely. And I think for us, we had to be choiceful in how much we wanted to intervene, and we asked that of our clients, too. There needed to be a lot of trust on set to get it all done.
To this end, our partners on this project were incredible every step of the way, starting with our clients for buying something so out there, all the way to music and SFX at Grayson putting the finishing touches on it. And, our editor, Paul Skinner, really came through, cutting together over a dozen spots in just a couple days.
LBB> What lessons have you learned from the making of this campaign?
Melissa> How connected we are in the role Twizzlers play in our movie watching experiences. Whether through memories or current behaviour, Twizzlers have always been a part of enjoying great (and not so great) movies.
LBB> How have people responded to this campaign?
Melissa> The campaign has only been in-market for a couple of weeks, but the social response to the campaign has been very strong so far!
Nicole> Along with these great results, we’ve specifically seen strong brand association and ad recall.
LBB> How does this campaign fit into Twizzler’s platform for 2023?
Nicole> Over the key summer months, Twizzlers will be supported with a 360 communication plan (TV, OLV, Social, Spotify, TikTok) rooted in the ‘Better with a Twist’ messaging, and an in-store marketing program offering Cineplex giveaways with purchase.
